My Bible, My faith, My church

Perkasa has lighted a fire of religious
intolerance which is burning slowly but
will grow bigger if not doused.

Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali wants to make a bonfire of the Malay version of the Bible that uses the word “Allah” and is written in Jawi. But a Bible is a Bible, whether it is in English or Malay or Jawi. It is still a sacred book and to throw it into the fire is an act of sacrilege. He is encouraging a course of action which is likely to lead to dire consequences. He has forgotten that Malaysia is a land shared by many races and faiths.

Ibrahim has triggered widespread resentment in the Christian community for making such a provocative statement. Most of the worshippers using the Malay-language Bible are native Christians in Sarawak and Sabah. They also work and live in the Peninsula and continue to practise their faith. They have been using this Bible for ages without anyone trampling on their rights to religious freedom. The Bible is their faith and their church. But now come Ibrahim and his Bible-burning threat.

Why no noise from PM against Perkasa?

By Chua Jui Meng

Why is Najib mum on Perkasa's call for the burning
of Malay bibles and why doesn't anyone in Umno
dare to tegur Ibrahim Ali or Perkasa?

The Umno-led Barisan Nasional federal government leaders only look after the financial interest of themselves, their families and cronies. We must wipe out corruption to bring real benefits to the rakyat and country.

For this to be realised, the BN must go.

Pakatan Rakyat is committed to poverty eradication and is confident of raising the monthly income of families who are now RM1,500 and below to RM4,000 in its first term of governance.

Give us the opportunity and chance to show what we can do for the rakyat and country in five years. It is still your choice to change if you are not satisfied with our performance.

Musa takes to wooing non-politicos

By Calvin Kabaron 

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional seems to be taking a leaf from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s direct dealings with civil society groups and is actively engaging, in some instances for the first time, religious bodies, academics, artistes and the latest, consumer bodies.

Such is the state’s political “dilemma”. The ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry testimonies and the contentious Bible-issue have dented BN’s “fixed deposits” and the “leakage” is worrying the powers-that-be here.

In an unexpected show of concern, Chief Minister Musa Aman recently hosted a local Catholic delegation led by the outgoing Archbishop John Lee who heaped praises on Musa for his openness and help to the church.

Sabah authorities stunned by dead elephants

The Sabah Wildlife Department which is investigating
the mysterious deaths of several elephants have
not discounted poisoning.

KOTA KINABALU: The horrific discovery of a herd of dead pygmy elephants, including a cow elephant with its calf lingering by her side, all apparently poisoned within a Yayasan Sabah forestry concession area over the last two weeks has shocked wildlife authorities in the state.

A stunned State Tourism Minister Masidi Manjun has called for a thorough investigation into the “mysterious death” of the Bornean elephants that were found dead at at the Forestry Management Unit (FMU) 23, a Yayasan Sabah Concession area in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, some 130km from Tawau.

Remember, we study history to try and understand the past, not to judge it

In 1991, the brother of the Sabah Chief Minister, Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly plotting to take Sabah out of Malaysia. With the detention of Dr Jeffrey, this more or less ‘confirmed’ the rumour of the plot to take Sabah out of Malaysia and subsequently for Sabah to join the Philippines.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

"Remember, we study history to try and understand the past, not to judge it." That was what my lecturer told me this morning. I think he is chiding me for being too judgemental in my comments regarding the English Civil War and the conflict between King Charles I and Parliament, the course I am currently taking.

With that spirit as the backdrop, I would like to give you my analysis regarding the current controversy raging in Malaysia -- and that is the controversy regarding the Sabah immigrants issue that is being investigated by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI).

Kurup’s son for Pensiangan

PBRS president Joseph Kurup who is eyeing the
Sepanggar parliamentary seat is aiming to
position his son for federal level politics.

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Joseph Kurup is unlikely to defend his Pensiangan parliamentary seat, a move that is seen as paving the way for his son Arthur’s active participation in federal level politics.

Arthur is expected to contest the Pensiangan seat for Barisan Nasional in the coming general election.

Since early last year, Kurup, the Federal Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister, has been touring his constituency introducing his son to the residents.

During the party’s congress last month, Arthur was unanimously made the party Youth chief, a post which automatically makes him one of PBRS’ vice-presidents.

Some Malay Groups Have 52% Chinese DNA

Dear Editors,

The news reports on the RCI findings have prompted me to do a bit of reading on the "Malays" and I found 2 articles which are very interesting.

One is a recent article called "Pendatang" by Syed Imran former Bernama reporter and the other a scientific study on the genetics of "Malays".

Syed Imran's beef is that "Malaysians" are 97 squatters- so what is the big deal about "pendatangs"?

Unfortunately UMNO and Perkasa think tankers are a bit thicker than others and have not accepted this conclusion (common knowledge for a long time). Or may be they are following the Nazis who dishonestly made up reasons to justify their pogroms against Jews and "sub-human" race.

God and religion, two separate matters

The raging ‘Allah” issue has left this writer
wondering if Jakim and National Fatwah Council
clerics who can both “see and read” are “blind”.

When I was young, my teacher  told me that if I want to study facts I should take up archaeology, but if I want to find out what truth is all about I should choose philosophy.

I ended up somewhere in the middle and discovered that between scientific evidence and logic, there are matters that require a 3rd element called faith -  to believe and accept in the absence of  facts and figures. And religion is one such matter.

Let me give an example: Many people will ref use to switch-off  the life supporting machine attached to a loved one who is in a comatose even though their religion tells them that there is a better place on the other side.

Bumburing: Umno thought I was ‘opposition’ even then

By Joseph Bingkasan of FMT

KOTA KINABALU: Former Barisan Nasional MP Wilfred Bumburing, stung by a remark from Sulaman assemblyman Hajiji Mohd Noor, said he was often labeled “an opposition” whilst in BN for raising matters affecting Sabahans in parliament.

Hajiji, who is Tuaran Umno chief, had accused Bumburing of being an “opportunist”.

Hajiji held that when Bumburing was in the government and a minister, he sang the praises of the BN every day but was now saying the opposite.

Voters, Hajiji said, should judge for themselves which is glass and which is crystal.

Candidates taking politics into schools

KUCHING: The opposition has accused potential candidates of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) of politicising educational matters despite the call not to do so by deputy Parliament Speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaffar.

Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen said SUPP election candidates were officiating at the distribution of the federal government’s RM100 aid to students of schools in constituencies where they will contest.

“They are using the education department and schools as their tools to project their image.

“This is typical of Barisan Nasional politicising educational matters even to the extent of bringing politics into primary schools,” claimed Chong, who is also Sarawak DAP secretary.